15 Time-Saving Dinner Hacks

Instead of painstakingly peeling each garlic clove, quickly crush them with your hands and toss the cloves into a big bowl. Flip another bowl upside down to cover the garlic-filled bowl. Shake the two bowls together vigorously for 10 seconds. The garlic should emerge perfectly peeled.

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3/16

Boil Water in an Electric Kettle

To make water boil faster, add boiled water from the electric kettle to the pot.

By writing your dressing recipe directly on the bottle, you can make your vinaigrette instantly (and without dirtying extra cups and spoons). Just draw a line for each of the ingredients with a permanent marker.

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9/16

Make Sure Eggs are Fresh

Place eggs in a bowl of water to check their freshness. If the egg lies on its side at the bottom of the bowl, it is at its freshest. If the egg lies upright it is okay to eat, but should be used soon or hard boiled. If the egg floats then toss it.

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10/16

Defrost Meat with Aluminum Trays

Aluminum is a great conductor of heat, so placing frozen meat on an aluminum tray at room temperature will speed up the defrosting process. The aluminum draws energy from the surrounding environment and will affect frozen meat more quickly than a wooden cutting board will. This is a great method if you don't have time to run frozen meat under a cold tap.

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11/16

Store Salad in a Jar

Salads stay freshest in jars. By throwing your salad into a mason jar, you can enjoy more salad tomorrow too.

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12/16

Freeze Leftover Wine

If you have a teeny bit of wine left over after the guests leave, freeze it in an ice cube tray. Next time a recipe calls for a little bit of wine, drop the frozen cube into the mix!

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13/16

Save Parmesan Rinds

After you finish up a block of Parmesan cheese, freeze the rind. The rind makes for a flavorful addition to soup, stew and broth. Just add it to the simmering pot for 20 to 30 minutes. This trick can be done with all hard cheese rinds, not just Parmesan!

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14/16

Separate Bananas

Keep bananas separate from other fruits. Bananas release a gas that causes fruits to ripen faster — even other bananas. Make sure to keep bananas away from other produce including other bananas.